Author Archive: Catherine Crittenden

This urgency motion was carried unanimously. Congratulations Victorian Labor!

Urgency Motion for ALP State Conferenc e : 12 & 13 November  2016

Asylum & Refugees

Victorian Labor congratulates Premier Dan Andrews on the leadership he has shown through the following:

• Offering a home in Victoria for the 267 people seeking asylum who were brought to Australia from Nauru for medical reasons
• Providing $15 million for 3,000 training places in the Vocational Education & Training (VET) sector for people seeking asylum who hold Bridging Visa E and for refugees holding Temporary Protection Visas (TPVs) and Safe Haven Enterprise Visas (SHEVs)
• Providing $11 million for health and mental health support services for refugees and people seeking asylum.

That this Victorian State ALP conference expresses its deep concern at the physical and mental suffering endured  by asylum seekers on Nauru and Manus Island. We therefore urge the Shadow Cabinet to adopt a position that would commit Australia to:

1. lifting its refugee intake to the per capita OECD average, being approximately 50,000 per annum and ensuring this intake of refugees takes place without lengthy delays.
2. closing the Manus and Nauru asylum seeker detention centres and arranging the transfer of refugees to either Australia or another genuinely welcoming country
3. establishing and financially supporting a cooperative UNHCR-administered regional asylum seeker processing arrangement with Southeast Asian neighbors to ensure the quick, efficient and humane processing of asylum seeker claims in accordance with the policy adopted at the 2015 ALP National Conference.

Moved:  Ilia Vurtel, Wills Delegate

Seconded: Pauline Brown, Bendigo Delegate

*Footnote: The figure of 50,000 was taken from the average of all OECD countries, weighted by population and adjusted for per capita GDP.